God could've taken this time to reprimand the people -- he could've reminded them of the times and ways they failed God. It's so easy to take a victory lap and remind them of why they were wrong.
Instead, however, God commands them to celebrate, to be joyous in the Lord. In the midst of the people mourning, God points to reasons to rejoice.
May we be the same. The world is so overfilled with pain and suffering and mourning and anxiety and worry. There is so much grief... wouldn't it be great if the church was so deeply rooted in the joy of Christ that they found a way to celebrate and invite others into a celebration, to rejoice in the joy of the Lord as our strength? Wouldn't that be invitational?
We'd be pointing to the joy of the Kingdom of God, and preaching a counter-cultural narrative to the constant anxiety and worry that fills the world.
May we truly understand the words that Scripture declares to us, and rejoice at the joy of the Lord!
No comments:
Post a Comment